AP National Business

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in his first major speech of 2023, has pledged to halve inflation, grow the U.K. economy and stop illegal immigration. In a speech setting out the Conservative government’s priorities for the year ahead, Sunak focused on tackling the U.K.’s slowing economy and

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s defense minister has signed a deal to buy a second batch of U.S Abrams main battle tanks as Warsaw beefs up its defensive capabilities and strengthens military cooperation with Washington in light of Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine. Poland is the first U.S. ally in Europe to procure Abrams tanks.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says natural gas storage levels are high despite Russian attempts to choke off supplies to Europe amid the war in Ukraine. The 27 EU countries stocked up on gas last year in case of winter shortages. The EU commission estimated Wednesday that joint gas storage levels stand at almost

By THALIA BEATY Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A little known Biden administration initiative to reduce gun violence that was funded by philanthropic foundations wrapped up in December with a celebration hosted in Washington. The Community Violence Intervention Collaborative was launched in June 2021 to get public funding to small nonprofits that work to

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE and MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writers E-commerce giant Amazon and business software maker Salesforce are the latest U.S. technology companies to announce major job cuts as they prune payrolls that rapidly expanded during the pandemic lockdown. Amazon said Wednesday that it will be cutting about 18,000 positions. It’s the largest set of

By SALLY FRENCH of NerdWallet The Walt Disney Company is whipping up new attractions to mark turning 100 years old. Celebrations at Disney’s original Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks in Anaheim, California, kick off on Jan. 27 with the return of the short-lived Magic Happens parade, a new nighttime show with fireworks, and a

By The Associated Press Twitter says it will ease up on its 3-year-old ban on political advertising, the latest change by Elon Musk as he tries to pump up revenue after purchasing the social media platform last year. The company tweeted late Tuesday that “we’re relaxing our ads policy for cause-based ads in the US.”

By MICHAEL CANTU Edmunds The supply chain shortage has crushed automotive production and sales, but that hasn’t stopped automakers from introducing new and redesigned models. Electric vehicles are the next hot trend, but gas-powered and hybrid vehicles aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and there are plenty of new ones hitting the market this year. The

By SEUNG MIN KIM and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press COVINGTON, Kentucky (AP) — President Joe Biden is holding out the promised makeover of a dilapidated bridge over the Ohio River as a symbol of what can happen when Republicans and Democrats work together. His visit Wednesday to the Brent Spence Bridge connecting Kentucky and Ohio

BEIJING (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has cited stable ties with China during a visit to Beijing that has sought to downplay the contentious issue of territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Marcos said he discussed the rights of Filipino fishermen and was given an assurance by Chinese President Xi Jinping that

By ADRIANA MORGA, HALELUYA HADERO and CARA RUBINSKY Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Tech companies of all sizes are showing off their latest products at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics show. The show is getting back to normal after going completely virtual in 2021 and seeing a significant drop in 2022 attendance

By ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese regulators have said e-commerce giant Alibaba’s finance affiliate Ant Group can raise $1.5 billion for its consumer finance unit in an important step forward after the government called off a planned IPO two years ago and ordered the firm to restructure. The China Banking and

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares are mostly higher following a rally on Wall Street as investors assessed minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting of policymakers and welcomed encouraging data on U.S. jobs. Worries over China’s economic slowdown were weighing on regional sentiment. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.9%

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Atlantic City’s Hard Rock casino on Tuesday hired a new management team as the property pushes for an even greater share of the market. George Goldhoff was named president of the casino and Mike Sampson was named general manager. Both men are expected to start

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines is trying to fix its relationship with travelers who got stuck by canceled flights over the holidays. On Tuesday, Southwest told affected travelers that they will get 25,000 frequent-flyer points, which are worth more than $300 in tickets. Southwest is including the offer in a letter from CEO Bob Jordan

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators have ordered Union Pacific railroad to make sure a livestock producer gets the grain it needs in California to prevent millions of chickens and hundreds of thousands of cattle from starving. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board told Union Pacific it must improve service

By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer A newly released study says toxic PFAS chemicals have been found in Lake Michigan’s Green Bay. University of Wisconsin researchers say they detected a plume of the compounds and traced it to a plant that manufactures firefighting foam. PFAS chemicals are a common ingredient in the foams. They’re also

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Tuesday: Tesla Inc., down $15.08 to $108.10. The electric vehicle maker fell short of CEO Elon Musk’s pledge to grow the company’s sales by 50% in 2022. Digital Realty Trust Inc., up $2.56 to $102.83. The real estate investment trust focused on

The Associated Press Stocks fell on Wall Street’s first trading day of 2023 after closing out its worst year since 2008. The S&P 500 index fell 0.4% Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq also closed lower. Investors will be closely watching moves by central banks in coming months to fight inflation with

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for February delivery fell $3.33 to $76.93 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for March delivery fell $3.81 to $82.10 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for February delivery fell 12 cents to $2.36 a gallon. February heating oil fell 21 cents to $3.09 a gallon. February natural gas fell 49

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Shares of Tesla tumbled more than 12% Tuesday, the first full day of trading since the company announced 2022 delivery numbers that fell short of targets. The electric vehicle and solar panel maker’s stock closed at $108.10, and it’s down just under 70% since the start

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer A group of video game testers has formed Microsoft’s first labor union in the U.S., which will also be the largest in the video game industry. The Communications Workers of America said Tuesday that a majority of about 300 quality-assurance workers at Microsoft video game subsidiary ZeniMax Studios has

By JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer More than 1,000 striking CNH Industrial workers will soon vote on an offer from the maker of construction and agricultural equipment for the first time since they walked off the job eight months ago. The United Auto Workers union said this week that workers will vote on CNH’s latest

By SAMY MAGDY Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — A global energy company has acquired oil producing facilities in war-torn Yemen from another international firm. The move comes as the country’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted terminals and tankers in efforts to stop their rivals from exporting oil. Zenith Netherlands, a subsidiary of Zenith Energy Ltd.,

Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ken Block, a motorsports icon known for his stunt driving and for co-founding the action sports apparel brand DC Shoes, died on Monday in a snowmobiling accident near his home in Utah. Block, 55, “was riding a snowmobile on a steep slope when the snowmobile upended, landing on

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — For the first time in years, Denmark hasn’t recorded a single bank robbery. There wouldn’t have been much point. Cash transactions in the Nordic country have become virtually obsolete, with Danes increasingly opting to use cards and smart phones for payments. The Danish bank employees’ union on Tuesday welcomed the news

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court Tuesday to charges that he cheated investors and looted customer deposits on his cryptocurrency trading platform as a judge set a tentative trial date for October. Bankman-Fried, 30, denied charges accusing him of illegally diverting

BERLIN (AP) — Germany has recorded its highest annual inflation in more than 70 years. Preliminary data released Tuesday by the country’s Federal Statistical Office showed that surging energy and food prices due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine saw full-year inflation reach 7.9% in 2022. The last time annual inflation was near that level was

By FRANK BAJAK and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Drone advances in Ukraine have accelerated a long-anticipated technology trend that could soon bring the world’s first fully autonomous fighting robots to the battlefield, inaugurating a new age of warfare. The longer the war lasts, the more likely it becomes that drones will

By FRANK BAJAK and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Drone advances in Ukraine have accelerated a long-anticipated technology trend that could soon bring the world’s first fully autonomous fighting robots to the battlefield, inaugurating a new age of warfare. The longer the war lasts, the more likely it becomes that drones will

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria has gained access to Turkey’s terminals and gas transmission network under a long-term deal that will help the country replace supplies once provided by Russia. Bulgaria’s state gas company Bulgargaz and the Turkish gas transmission company Botas signed a 13-year deal on Tuesday that grants the Balkan neighbor access to

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s foreign minister has issued an emotional appeal ahead of a major conference next week, urging the international community to generously donate funds for the country’s flood victims. The gathering in Geneva — which will be jointly hosted by the United Nations and Pakistan — aims to

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and China are moving closer to a political standoff over the COVID-19 crisis. Beijing vehemently rejects travel restrictions some EU nations have started to impose and which could be expanded over the coming days. An EU offer of help that includes vaccine donations was

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and CLAIRE SAVAGE Associated Press/Report for America Forty-seven. That’s how many days of child care Kathryn Anne Edwards’ 3-year-old son has missed in the past year. RSV, COVID-19 and two bouts of the dreaded preschool scourge of hand, foot and mouth disease struck one after another. The illnesses were so disruptive that

By SARA RATHNER of NerdWallet We head into the new year with big plans, hoping this will be the year we whittle down that to-do list and get our money on track. But daily life gets in the way — meetings, appointments, errands and emergencies. It can be hard to finally make time to take

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Commuters returning to work after the Christmas break are advised not to travel as tens of thousands of British rail workers stage a fresh round of strikes that will disrupt services all week. Around half of the U.K.’s railway lines are closed, and only one-fifth of services

BERLIN (AP) — The first regular shipment of liquefied natural gas from the United States has arrived in Germany. It’s part of a wide-reaching effort to help the country replace energy supplies it previously received from Russia. The vessel arrived Tuesday at the port of Wilhelmshaven where its shipment of LNG will be converted back

By FELIPE DANA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Emergency crews are sifting through the rubble of a building that was struck by Ukrainian rockets, killing at least 63 Russian soldiers. The attack was the latest blow to the Kremlin’s war strategy that Ukraine says could herald a shift in Moscow’s tactics. An Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Official data show that inflation in Turkey has slowed in December thanks mainly to technical reasons. The development could help President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s standings ahead of elections but is unlikely to bring relief to households suffering from a cost of living crisis. The Turkish Statistical Institute said Tuesday consumer prices

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s agreement with the United Arab Emirates to open diplomatic ties in 2020 brought an electrifying sense of achievement to a country long ostracized in the Middle East. At the time, Israeli officials insisted that the new ties with the UAE, and soon after with Bahrain, would

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets rose Wednesday ahead of the release of minutes from a Federal Reserve meeting that investors hope might show the U.S. central bank is moderating its plans for more interest rate hikes to cool inflation. Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney advanced. Tokyo retreated.

By YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A survey shows major Japanese companies are expecting hard times in 2023 due to higher costs and the yen’s weakness against other currencies. The survey of 117 companies by the Kyodo News service found just over half, or 56%, expect the economy to grow this year. That

By JOE McDONALD AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed Tuesday ahead of updates on U.S. employment amid fears of a possible global recession. Shanghai and Hong Kong gained. Seoul and Sydney declined. Oil prices fell. Coming off a year of big declines for major stock markets, traders worry the Federal

By RAF CASERT Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union nations will try again on Wednesday to mold a coordinated approach on if and how authorities should check incoming airline passengers from China for any new COVID-19 variants after several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week. Belgium said late Monday it would

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tesla says it sold a record 1.3 million electric vehicles last year. But the number fell short of CEO Elon Musk’s pledge to grow the company’s sales by 50% nearly every year. The figure topped the prior record of 936,000 vehicles delivered in 2021. But it was shy of the 1.4

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An attorney says Louisiana authorities’ use of facial recognition technology led to the mistaken-identity arrest of a Georgia man on a fugitive warrant. The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports that 28-year-old Randall Reid was jailed for days in DeKalb County, Georgia. His attorney says facial recognition tools were used to falsely

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Authorities say three construction workers were killed and two others were hurt when scaffolding collapsed in an industrial accident at a job site in Charlotte, North Carolina. WBTV reports that the collapse happened Monday morning at a construction site on East Morehead Street just outside of uptown Charlotte. Fire Capt. Jackie

BERLIN (AP) — Scuffles have broken out outside a village in western Germany that is to be razed to allow the expansion of a coal mine, a plan that is drawing resistance from climate activists. German news agency dpa reported that activists on Monday threw fireworks, bottles and stones at police outside the village of

NEW YORK (AP) — A possible strike by thousands of New York City nurses loomed Monday even as nurses at one hospital reached a tentative agreement hours before their contract was set to expire. The pact affecting 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital awaits ratification. Contract talks between nurses and seven other hospitals will resume this

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer Sampriti Bhattacharyya is bringing a 30-foot electric yacht to the upcoming CES gadget show in Las Vegas. The co-founder and CEO of electric hydrofoil startup Navier said she hopes her company’s debut line of luxury boats helps spark a broader shift to a cleaner maritime industry, much like Tesla

By KIMBERLY PALMER of NerdWallet Emergencies such as power outages or severe weather can happen at any time and can be costly. Unplanned hotel stays, lost documents and damaged property are just a few of the expensive outcomes. But there are ways to get yourself prepared, including setting aside cash and storing essential documents in

By FELIPE DANA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces fired rockets at a facility in the eastern Donetsk region where Russian soldiers were stationed, killing 63 of them, Russia’s defense ministry said Monday, in one of the deadliest attacks on the Kremlin’s forces since the war began more than 10 months ago. Ukrainian

By SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s top court says the government’s surprise decision in 2016 to demonetize high-value bills was legal and taken after consultation with India’s central bank. The five-judge constitution bench was hearing petitions challenging the currency ban that yanked 86% of India’s currency out of circulation without warning.

By ELAINE KURTENBACH AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — Shares began the year mixed, with European benchmarks opening higher on Monday after a lackluster session for the few Asian markets not closed for New Year holidays. U.S. markets are also closed. This week brings employment data and minutes from the latest meeting of the Federal

By KANIS LEUNG Associated Press MACAO (AP) — Only a few tourists crisscrossed the wavy black and white paving of Macao’s historic Senado Square on a recent weekday and many of the shops were shuttered. The gaming hub on China’s south coast near Hong Kong has endured some of the world’s strictest anti-virus controls for

JERUSALEM (AP) — The tourism minister of Israel’s new hardline government has promised to invest in the West Bank, calling the occupied area “our local Tuscany.” Haim Katz made the comments days after the new government took office. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition has promised to make West Bank settlement construction a top priority.

By ALBERT AJI and BASSEM MROUE Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian army says missile strikes by Israel’s military have put the capital’s airport out of service. Monday’s attack was the second in seven months to put the Damascus International Airport out of commission. Several hours later flights from the airport resumed after reports

NEW YORK (AP) — “Avatar: The Way of Water” is the box office king for a third straight week, and shows no sign of slowing down. James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to the first “Avatar” film brought in an estimated $63 million over the holiday weekend, roughly the same as the previous week, and now has

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Nearly 300 domestic and international flights at the Manila airport in the Philippines have been either delayed, canceled or diverted after a power outage hampered air traffic operations. The delays caused misery for over 65,000 passengers during the New Year holiday. Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista in an evening news conference

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press ROME (AP) — Dubai has ended its 30% tax on alcohol sales in the sheikhdom and made its required liquor licenses free to obtain. The announcement Sunday ends a long-standing source of revenue for its ruling family to apparently further boost tourism to the emirate. It came apparently from a

BEIJING (AP) — Australia and Canada have joined a growing list of countries requiring travelers from China to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding their flight, as China battles a nationwide outbreak of the coronavirus after abruptly easing restrictions that were in place for much of the pandemic. Both countries said that from Jan

By SABINA NIKSIC Associated Press ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — At the stroke of midnight on Saturday, Croatia switched to the shared European currency, the euro, and removed dozens of border checkpoints to join the world’s largest passport-free travel area, completing a dream conceived 30 years ago when it fought a war for independence from Yugoslavia

The first Mega Millions drawing of the new year will be a big one after no one won an estimated $685 million jackpot. No ticket purchased for the lottery matched all six numbers drawn Friday night, Mega Millions said in a statement early Saturday. The top prize increased to $785 million ahead of the next

NEW YORK (AP) — Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase are asking a federal court to throw out lawsuits that claim the big banks should have seen evidence of sex trafficking by Jeffrey Epstein, the high-flying financier who killed himself in jail while facing criminal charges. The banks said in filings late Friday they didn’t commit

By JONATHAN MATTISE and TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal utility’s decision to resort to rolling blackouts after coal and natural gas units went offline during dangerously cold conditions has intensified questions about the Tennessee Valley Authority’s recent decision to double down on fossil fuels. TVA experienced its highest ever winter

By RENATA BRITO and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Multiple blasts rocked Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least one person and wounding 14 others, in a sign that the pace of Russia attacks had picked up before New Year’s. Some Ukrainians defied the danger, however, to return

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A provision in the recently signed defense spending bill mandates that the United States work to ease Ukraine’s debt burden at the International Monetary Fund, which could create tensions at the world’s lender-of-last-resort over one of its biggest borrowers. The National Defense Authorization Act requires American representatives

By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press Taxes will fall and minimum wages rise for residents in numerous states as a variety of new laws take effect Sunday that could impact people’s finances and, in some cases, their personal liberties. Some new laws could affect access to abortion. Others will ease restrictions on

By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press Taxes will fall and minimum wages rise for residents in numerous states as a variety of new laws take effect Sunday that could impact people’s finances and, in some cases, their personal liberties. Some new laws could affect access to abortion. Others will ease restrictions on

By JIM HEINTZ Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s New Year’s address to the nation usually is rather anodyne and backed with a soothing view of a snowy Kremlin. This year, with soldiers in the background, he lashed out at the West and Ukraine. The conflict in Ukraine cast a long shadow

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the U.K. has had a tough 12 months and its problems will not “go away” in 2023. But he believed that the coronation of King Charles III in May will help bring the country together. Sunak said the U.K. was rocked this year by the “profound

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese manufacturing contracted for a third consecutive month in December, in the biggest drop since early 2020, as the country battles a nationwide COVID-19 surge after suddenly easing anti-epidemic measures. A monthly purchasing managers’ index declined to 47.0 from 48.0 in November, according to data released from the National Bureau of Statistics

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A judge has temporarily blocked the state of California from implementing a landmark new law aimed at raising wages and improving working conditions for fast food workers in the state. The Sacramento County Superior Court judge’s order came Friday in response to a lawsuit from restaurant industry groups. Those groups are

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina utility regulators have told Duke Energy Corp. to carry out a series of activities to generate electricity that they say will help ensure greenhouse gas reductions set in a new state law are met. But the Utilities Commission’s directives announced late Friday on

LAS VEGAS (AP) — MGM Resorts International has sold land on the Las Vegas Strip that was the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle disclosed the sale of the 15-acre open plot to his staff Friday. The Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation,

By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press The U.S. government says it received one bid for the right to drill offshore for oil and gas in Alaska’s Cook Inlet near habitat for bears, salmon and endangered Beluga whales. Hilcorp Alaska LLC submitted the sole bid during the sale which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted via

By JOANNA KOZLOWSKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Those at the forefront of the U.K.’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine joined Queen guitarist Brian May and a fashion designer dubbed “the mother of the miniskirt” on the country’s new year’s Honors list. The 92-year-old designer Mary Quant who is best known for popularizing the

The Associated Press Stocks are closing out 2022 with more losses, giving the S&P 500 its worst year since 2008. The benchmark index fell 0.3% Friday, the last trading day of the year, leaving it down 19.4% for the year. The technology-heavy Nasdaq and the Dow also fell and ended the year in the red.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes Friday: Marathon Oil Corp., up 29 cents to $27.07. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market as U.S. crude oil prices edged higher. Microsoft Corp., down $1.19 to $239.82. Big technology stocks led the broader market lower, as

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — State Attorney General Todd Rokita announces that Google will pay Indiana $20 million to resolve the state’s lawsuit against the technology giant over allegedly deceptive location tracking practices. Rokitas says he filed a separate lawsuit against Google when negotiations between the company and a coalition of state attorneys general stalled. Those states

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska company has expanded a recall of alfalfa sprouts after more than a dozen cases of salmonella were linked to the food. SunSprouts Enterprises on Friday doubled its recall that was first announced Thursday. Nebraska health officials say the 1,406 pounds of raw sprouts was distributed in 4-ounce and 2.5-pound

The Associated Press Benchmark U.S. crude oil for February delivery rose $1.86 to $80.26 a barrel Friday. Brent crude for March delivery rose $2.45 to $85.91 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery rose 9 cents to $2.46 a gallon. January heating oil rose 5 cents to $3.36 a gallon. February natural gas fell 8

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press The release of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns show he maintained a bank account in China through 2017, his first year in the White House. Trump had claimed he closed the account before running for president. Trump also reported making no charitable donations in 2020, his final year in

PARIS (AP) — France says it will require negative COVID-19 tests of all passengers arriving from China and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China. Spain also toughened its rules on Friday. France is reintroducing mask requirements on flights from China to France. French health authorities will carry out random PCR tests

The Associated Press Investors found few, if any, places to safely put their money in 2022, as central banks in the U.S. and around the globe raised interest rates for the first time in years to fight surging inflation, stoking fear of a global recession. Uncertainty about how far the Federal Reserve and other central

ISTANBUL (AP) — An official in Turkey says five people have been killed at a construction site on Friday. Izmir Gov. Yavuz Selim Kosger tweeted that the deaths occurred on Friday during a tower extension of a building in Bornova district. Two other people were injured. Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk said a new hotel was

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sherlock Holmes is finally free to the American public in 2023. The long-running contested copyright dispute over Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of a whipsmart detective — which has even ensnared Enola Holmes — will finally come to an end as the 1927 copyrights expiring Jan. 1 include Conan Doyle’s last Sherlock

By JIM SALTER and MICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, repealing a Trump-era rule that federal courts had thrown out and that environmentalists said left waterways vulnerable to pollution. The rule defines which

Associated Press Volkswagen is recalling nearly 42,000 Beetles in the U.S. and Canada because they have potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. The recall covers Beetles from the 2015 and 2016 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Friday that the inflators can explode with too much force and hurl

By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Atlantic City’s casinos are betting they can finally put the COVID pandemic behind them in 2023. Some casino executives are optimistic about the new year, while others note that economic challenges are likely to remain in the New Jersey resort town. Issues that could be

By JAKE BLEIBERG Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines returned to a relatively normal flight schedule Friday, as the focus shifts to making things right with what could be well more than a million passengers who missed family connections or flights home during the holidays, and many of whom are still missing luggage. The

By NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Almost three years after officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Indonesia, the country’s leader says they are lifting all coronavirus-related restrictions nationwide. Large-scale social restrictions had been imposed in the world’s fourth-most populous nation in April 2020. President Joko Widodo said Friday that

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan has started requiring COVID-19 tests for all passengers arriving from China as an emergency measure against surging infections there. Japan is facing rising case numbers and record-level deaths. The country reported a record 420 new coronavirus deaths Thursday. That’s one day after reaching an earlier single-day

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Arata Isozaki, a Pritzker-winning Japanese architect known as a post-modern giant who blended culture and history of the East and the West in his designs, has died of old age. He was 91. Isozaki won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, internationally the highest honor in the field, in